Sin Has Left a Crimson Stain
by Fear Die Rothaarige
Summary: The girl laying dead in the snow before him was the only one he had ever considered going back to Konoha for. Sure, going back to kick Naruto's *** with Kakashi watching had been appealing, but that wasn't his main driving force. It was her. It was always her.


_**Sin Has Left A Crimson Stain **_

_by:_

**Fear Die Rothaarige**

It was Juugo who alerted the leader of Team Taka, Sasuke Uchiha, to the bloodshed in the wood.

They had been looking for dry firewood. They weren't having much luck with the freshly fallen snow that had blanketed the area hours before. Instead of sticking to the normal quarter mile diameter, they had almost stretched a mile from their campsite. Sasuke was about 300 yards away from the gentle giant on his team, when a small Cardinal landed on his shoulder. The crimson colored bird pulled at his hair, which Sasuke swatted away. It took to the air for a few moments before it tugged at his hair again, pulling him west towards the location of Juugo. Realization finally passed before his mind and followed the Cardinal to Juugo.

As he stepped into the clearing, his eyes were drawn to the bright red patches of blood staining the white snow. It was everywhere in that confined space. It dripped from the bare branches, it was frozen on the bodies of its owners, it was marring the freshly fallen snow. The five nin, Mist by their forehead protectors, had been slaughtered sometime within the last few hours. The blood was seeping through the snow-white powder on the ground. Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the bodies in the snow. Most seemed to have numerous spots where their bones had been crushed inwards in their bodies. The ground showed the same evidence, a large bowl having been created within the earth. He could only find the fight marks of a single nin, a very powerful nin. Whoever it was posed a threat to his small group.

Then his eyes found something out of place. A blood trail leading out of the opposite side of the clearing. Sasuke walked through the clearing, avoiding the bodies of the nin. From what he could tell, the trail of blood went on into the woods. Whoever had left it was probably heavily wounded. And as they say, there is nothing more dangerous and deadly than a cornered injured ninja. The two men followed the trail for almost half an hour. Whoever had left it behind was moving slow, sometimes even stumbling in the snow. They could see where they had tried to hide their trail, but eventually gave up. Either because who ever it was with either to weak or didn't care anymore. As they moved farther away from the bloodshed, the trail of blood got thicker and thicker. Sasuke and Juugo both figured they'd come across a dead or dying nin soon enough. And on that assumption, they were correct.

The trail was getting easier and easier to follow. Great pools of blood were in the snow where the nin had fallen and laid for a few moments before wrestling back to their feet. These spots were closer and closer together, until they came to the final one. Laying in the snow was a bloodied cloak. Sasuke recognized at as one of the Konoha issue winter nin cloak, having had one before his defection. As Juugo leaned down to pull back the cloak, Sasuke checked the familiar weight of his katana by his side. Though, the weapon was not needed. The figure under the cloak had been dead for probably more than an hour. The fallen nin, a female, was laying slightly curled on her side. First, Sasuke took in the bloodied clothes. There were two stab wounds in the stomach, both in vital areas that would had provided a slow and painful death. Her gloves and knuckles were bloodied and shredded. Then her shoulder was partway missing. The muscle and bone visible in the crisp winter air. He was far from a medic, but even someone with his untrained eyes could tell that a trained medic nin couldn't have saved her. Then his heart skipped a beat when he saw her face.

Her lips were a dull blue, a small trail of blood marring her cheek. Her once bright jade eyes were dulled over with death, staring half lidded at nothing. Her cherry blossom hair hung limply around her face and in the snow.

"She's beautiful." Juugo stated, taking in the broken form of the girl before him. The Uchiha swallowed, once... twice, trying to find the words jammed in his throat. He moved next to Juugo and knelled before her. His hand hovered over her head. He wasn't sure what to do or how to react.

It was Sakura. It was the lone female from Konoha who's presence he had ever tolerated, and dare he say it, liked. The one girl who affections had been more than just that of a fangirl, but that of a team mate. The girl who had been the lone person able to figure out that he was leaving Konoha that fateful night almost eight years ago. He had seen her several times throughout the last few years, he had known she had become everything everyone said she wouldn't. She had exceeded everyone's low expectations of her and become one of Konoha's best ninja. Through the lands he had heard of a pink haired girl who had even surpassed the great Sanin, Tsunade, in her medic skills and brutal strength. Hearing these rumors he had laughed at the impossible. Sakura had become everything she never could be.

And the girl laying dead in the snow before him was the only one he had ever considered going back to Konoha for. Sure, going back to kick Naruto's ass with Kakashi watching had appealed to him, but that wasn't his main driving force. It was her. With her laughter that was like music to his ears. Her eyes that had shone brighter than any star. Her voice that was like velvet. It was her, always her. But now... She was no more.

Passing his hand over her eyes, forever closing them, Sasuke nodded in agreement with Juugo's statement. "She was." Sasuke said, his voice barely above a whisper as he untied her forehead protector and slipped it into his pocket. He gently slipped his arms under her winter body and got to his feet. He felt like he was ready to be sick, holding her pure dead weight, in his arms. He motioned for Juugo to grab the cloak.

"We'll need enough wood for a funeral pryer and a messenger hawk." Sasuke told him. The giant nodding his head as he followed his leader, who carried his broken heart in his arms.

**_Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, Rin would be alive and Kakashi would have about five mini Kakashi's running around. _**

**_This was inspired by a song I heard while I attended church with a friend. Sin has left a crimson stain is the lyric that got it all started. Please forgive any and all mistakes in grammar and spelling. I hope you enjoy it._**

**_Read and Review!_**

**_Later!_**


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